The Developing Infrastructure in Health Disparities Research is an R24 application designed to meet three primary goals: build the capacity and infrastructure at Governors State University to sustain a program of interdisciplinary research that will increase awareness of variables that cause health disparities and develop strategies to reduce or eliminate those disparities, improve the cultural competence of health professionals and health professional students, and translate research findings into community intervention strategies. The project will also create viable strategies to engage the community in determining research needs and participating in clinical research. It is anticipated that at the end of the three year project period, Governors State University will submit a fundable application for a P20 Center, should this RFA or a similar one be available. The project goals will be achieved through five core functions. The Administrative Core is responsible for planning, evaluation, budget, and the overall coordination of the Center. The Mentoring and Training Core is responsible for the development of capacity in junior faculty to pursue programs of minority health and health disparities research. The Research Core reflects a program of pilot research in minority health problems targeting African American and Hispanic children and adolescents. A key emphasis of the research core will be to develop the pilot projects into fundable R01 or similar mechanism applications. The Community Outreach Core will build upon an existing collaborative of key health provider organizations with extensive experience in serving minority communities to: engage community-based organizations in research and related activities, equip communities to participate in prevention and intervention activities, disseminate culturally-sensitive health information, provide Science Education outreach activities to K-12 schools with a high percentage of minority students; and evaluate the effectiveness of the community outreach initiatives. The Minority Health Education Core will organize a system for the acquisition of health care competencies for assessing, planning, diagnosing, implementing and evaluating elements for culturally competent health care aimed toward eradication of health care disparities. This education will be accomplished through a combination of existing curricula at Governors State University and through collaborative continuing education for and among partnering agencies. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]